Chromatic harp



Nov. 15, 1938. w. v. A. FRANKLIN CHROMAT I C HAR P Filed Dec. 2, 195'? cm; J I

W li" Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHROMATIC HARP Walter Vantwiller A. Franklin, New York, N. Y. ApplicationDecember 2, 1937, Serial No. 177,813

6 Claims. (01. 84264) This invention relates to improvements in harps.

An important object of this invention is to provide a harp capable of producing chromatic 5' tones and on which music written in major or minor scale can be played without difficulty.

Another object of the invention is to provide a harp which is simple in operation so that one skilled in the piano-or organ can readily acquire lo proficiency in playing this harp.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved sounding means, tone control, and key indicating means to simplify the playing of music written in major or minor scale.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more readily apparent from the following specification of which the drawing forms a part, and wherein:-

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the invenro tion,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout, l designates generally the harp comprising the frame portion composed of the pedestal back l2, neck l3,

so and pillar l4.

In the conventional harp the upper or front part |5 of the back l2 forms the sound board. As seen in Figures 2 and 3 the pedestal pillar l4, and back l2 are hollow toform additional resonant chambers. Harp H] is also provided with a vertically disposed sound box IE having its open side abutting the inner side of pillar M as seen in Figure 3, and extending between neck l3 and sound board |5 of the back l2 on the 40 right side of harp I0, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows 22 in Figure 1.

Secured to the middle of the sound board portion I5 and extending one-half the length thereof is an angular member having its upwardly 45 extending side |8 provided with uniformly arranged apertures l9 comprising openings terminating in slots. The openings are adapted to receive the knotted ends of the harp strings which are held therein by the knotted ends en- .30 gaging the slotted portions. Strings 20 are stretched across the open part 2| of harp l0 and across the left side of box Hi and are attached tothe wrest pins 22 which are mounted in two rows on the neck |3 and by means of or which strings 20 are tuned.

The harp l0 may be made with from three to eight octaves. It may be manufactured with as many as eighty-eight strings, but preferably is composed of sixty-two strings, as illustrated comprising slightly more than five octaves.

Extending the length of opening 2| and attached to the underside of neck l3 and to the left sideof box I6 is the strip 23 which is marked as indicated at 24 to correspond to the keyboard of a piano. A string 2| extends over each of the key marks 24 and is tuned to correspond to the key over which it is placed so that the musician can more readily pick the strings with his fingers using strip 23 as a guide, in order to make possible the playing of music written in major and minor scale. A damper head 25 is provided which is pivotally mounted in car 26 on sound board l5 and in an opening in pillar M to support it transversely of the springs 20von the opposite side'to box 15. Damper head 25 is provided with an angular lug 21 as best seen in Figure 2 which is connected to the vertically disposed rod 28 which extends down into pedestal Pedestal H is provided with an internally disposed depending partition 29 on which is pivotally mounted a lever 30 having one end connected to rod 28 and the opposite end connected to pedal lever 3| which is pivoted at its end 32 to the partition 29. Pedal 3| has its opposite end projecting through a vertical slot 33 in the left side of pedestal and mounted thereon is a roller 34 forming a foot pedal. A leaf type spring 35 has one end engaging pedal 3| and the opposite end resting on the bottom of pedestal II to hold pedal 3| in an elevated position as illustrated. When in this position rod 28 is in its lowered position holding damper head 25 out of engagement with strings 20. When pedal 34 is pressed down lever 30 is rocked raising rod 28 and swinging damper head 25 into engagement with strings 20. Damper head 25 has a felt strip 36 secured to its inner side to engage strings 20.

Mounted on the underside of pedestal H are the rubber pads 31 on which harp I0 is partially supported and which prevent the harp from sliding while being played. Mounted under the horizontal portion of back I2 is a'roller 38 which cooperates with pads 31 to support the harp l0, and on which harp I0 may be rolled by tilting it to raise pads 31.

Attached to pillar l4, as seen in Figure 3, is a bracket 39 to which is removably attached arm 40 which supports a music rack 4|.

Sound box I6 is provided with openings 42;

sound board [5 with openings 43; and pedestal H with the elongated openings 44 by which the tones produced by strings 20 are released.

The sound box i6 which connects with pillar l4 and sound board 15 produces the chromatic tones necessary for music played in the major or minor scale.

The harp I0 is played by picking the base strings, which are the long strings and which extend along the side of the box 16 with the left hand only, while the G string below middle and the strings above it may be played with both hands but preferably with the right hand on the right side of the harp, or the side to which box I 6 is secured. Damper head 25 is operated by the foot engaging pedal 34 to control the tone vibrations of strings 2!), the roller 34 preventing the harp from being pushed away from the artist when the roller is depressed. The harp l0 due to its construction will stay in tune indefinitely, and is adapted to be tuned to correspond to a piano as heretofore explained. The artist preferably sits or stands behind the harp with the right shoulder resting against the back l2 so that the head is to the left of the harp and conveniently positioned for watching the strip or guide 23, while playing. In this position, the left hand is free to conveniently pickthe base, or long strings, on the left side of the harp l0, while the treble strings, or short strings, can be picked with the right hand on the opposite or right side of the harp. The left hand will be usually disposed beneath strip 25, but if necessary, where the treble strings alone are being played, the left hand may be used to pick these strings above strip 25.

Various changes and modifications may obviously be resorted to without departing from the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim as my invention:-

1. A harp provided with a hollow pillar, pedestal, and back forming resonant chambers, and a sound box disposed between the neck and back of the harp and lying along one side of the strings, said sound box having a plurality of openings in one side facing the strings and communicating with the interior forming the sound chamber.

2. A harp provided with a hollow back, pedestal and pillar forming sound chambers, a sound box disposed along one side of the strings and connected to said back, pedestal, and pillar to co-act therewith to produce chromatic tones, and a bar arranged transversely of the strings and marked adjacent each string to correspond with a piano keyboard to permit said strings to be played by chords corresponding to a piano.

3. In a harp, a sounding box adapted to be disposed along one side of certain of the strings, said sounding box comprising spaced panels connected along one side, the opposite side, top and bottom being open, said open side, top and bottom being positioned to rest flush against the pillar, neck and sound board, respectively, of the harp v and to communicate with said parts in producing deep melodious tones, and the panel of said sounding box disposed adjacent to the strings being provided with a plurality of sound releasing openings.

4. A harp provided with a pedestal, pillar, back and neck, said pillar, back and neck forming an opening, strings stretched vertically across said opening and secured to the back and neck, and a sounding box disposed between said back and neck, and on one side of certain of said strings, with one of its sides in engagement with said pillar, said sounding box being provided with a hollow resonant chamber and having a plurality of openings opening outwardly thereof.

5. A harp having a hollow pedestal, pillar and back forming resonant chambers, said back and pedestal being provided with sound releasing openings, and a sounding box having a vertically disposed resonant chamber, said sounding box being positioned in the harp opening and connected to said back and pillar and disposed along one side of the base strings of the harp to cooperate with said aforementioned resonant chambers in producing deep melodious tones.

6. In a harp of conventional shape provided with strings stretched vertically between the neck and sounding board, a sounding box adapted to be positioned in a harp opening and to be disposed along one side of its base strings, said sounding box adapted to be connected to the pillar, board and neck of the harp, and said pillar and board being provided with sound releasing openings communicating with the hollow interior of said parts to cooperate with said sounding box to produce deep melodious tones.

WALTER VAN'I'WILLER A. FRANKLIN. 

